The Sternal Foramen: The Possible Forensic Misinterpretation of an Anatomic Abnormality

Misinterpretations of autopsy findings have been a major cause of concern to forensic scientists. Two comprehensive catalogues of the more common mistakes in forensic pathology and the interpretation of artifacts encountered in the medicolegal autopsy have been published [1,2]. This article documents the occurrence of a relatively rare congenital anomaly which may be misleading and may result in serious erroneous conclusions, particularly when evaluating skeletonized human remains. This abnormality and its relationship to medicolegal cases has not been previously reported in the forensic literature.